Handle construction for carrier box bag



Sept. 2, 1969 E, CANNQ ETAL HANDLE CONSTRUCTION FOR CARRIER Box BAG Filed March 14, 1968 STAPLER ,I F HANDLE 43 36152 n 42\ 1-z [35 12 INVENTORS CUTTER Uite States Patent O 3,464,620 HANDLE CONSTRUCTION FOR CARRIER BOX BAG York Filed Mar. 14, 1968, Ser. No. 713,149 Int. Cl. B65d 33/12 U.S. Cl. 229--54 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This specification discloses a type of bag having front and rear panels and side panels and having stiffening panels attached to the upper parts of the front and rear panels and extending down from the mouth of the bag a distance equal to the width of the side panels. The ends of the bag having the stiffening panels fold in over one another to form a box-like closure at the top of the bag. A cord handle is permanently attached to the panel that is to be folded in first, and there is an elongated opening in the other panel through which the cord is pulled, The opening is narrower than the handle so that the handle distorts the sides of the opening and is firmly gripped to hold the top panel down and the bag closed. The preferred embodiment has a loop f the handle extending longitudinally of the stiffening panels, but the end portions of the handle extend transversely of the stiffening panel to the edge of the mouth of the bag to facilitate the cutting of the cord for production on automatic machines.

Background and summary of the invention One of the modern developments in bags, such as paper shopping bags, is the provision of stiffening panels attached to the upper parts of the front and rear panels of the bag and which can be folded over one another to form a box-like closed end of the bag. The usual closing procedure is to fold a stiffened upper end of the front panel into a rearwardly extending horizontal position and then fold the sides of the bag down, this latter step requiring also a folding down of triangular end portions of the rear panel where the stiffening panel, if it is of full width, is incised or otherwise weakened along the line where it is to fold. The stilfened portion of the rear panel is then folded in over the front panel to form the box-like closure.

Where one of the stifrening panels is scored, incised or otherwise weakened to make triangular end portions fold when the side panels of the bag are folded, it is important that the folding of the various panels be performed in the proper sequence. This requires that the operator know which panel is to be folded in first. Sometimes the handle of the bag is supplied separately and is attached at the time of folding. With this invention, the handle is permanently attached to the panel which is the lowermost one in the folded end structure and the operator knows .immediately which panel to fold first.

The handle of this invention is made of a cord or equivalent material that is flexed and that has some resiliency and a coefficient of friction high enough so that when the handle is pulled through a slit or narrow slot in the uppermost panel, it is pinched and gripped by the sides 'of the slot and the panels are -held together in folded condition. Thus the bag is held tightly closed and can be carried by the handle in this condition; but by the application of manual force, the panels can be separated to open the bag without damage and the bag can be opened and reclosed an indefinite number of times.

In order to make the invention suitable for mass pro- 3,464,629 Patented Sept. 2, 1969 ICC duction on automatic machines, a preferred form of the handle, though it extends longitudinally in the direction of the greater length of the stilfening panels, has its end portions which connect with the bag extend transversely to the edge of the mouth of the bag where the handle cord can be cut without interference by the material of the bag. Staples can be used to secure the handle to the bag, but the invention is not limited to this form of fastening.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear or be pointed out as the description proceeds.

Brief description of the drawing In the drawing, forming a part hereof, in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view, partly broken away, of a carrier box bag made in accordance with this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view of the upper portion of the bag in FIGURE 1 after the stiifened upper portion of the front panel has been folded in as the first step in closing the bag;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but showing the next step in 'which the side panels are folded in;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view illustrating the insertion of the handle through the rear panel of the bag;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURES 2-4 but showing the upper end of the bag completely folded;

FIGURE 6` is a digrammatic view showing the way in which the handle of FIGURES 1-5 is applied to the bag on an automatic machine;

FIGURE 7 is a greatly enlarged, fragmentary sectional view showing the way in which the handle is attached to the bag and the way in which the ends are cut olf when. making the bag on an automatic machine; and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary isometric view showing a modified form of handle from that shown in FIG- URES l-7.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments FIGURE l shows a bag 10 having a front panel 12, a rear panel 14 and side panels 16. There are seams 18 in both of the side panels but the invention can be applied to bags having seams located at other places, or having only a single seam. A top edge 20 of the mouth of the bag is preferably continuous around the entire mouth. At the upper end portion of the front panel 20 there is a stiffening panel 24. If the bag is made of paper, the stiffening panel 24 is preferably made of cardboard. There is a similar stilfening panel 26 at the upper end of the rear panel 14. These stilening panels 24 and 26 are preferably secured to the paper of the front panel 12 and rear panel 14, respectively, before the bag is formed and by adhesive over Iall or substantially all of the confronting faces ofl the stiffening panels and the paper of the bag.

The stiffening panels 2-4 and 26 extend down from the edge 20 for a distance substantially equal to the width of the side panels 16, as measured between the front and rear panels when the bag is in set-up condition, as shown in FIGURE 1. It will be understood that the bag 10 can be folded along lines 28, 29 and 30 into a at condition for storage. A similar stiffening panel 31 is attached to a bottom 32. In bags of the type illustrated with seams up both sides and a single ply bottom of one piece With the front and rear panels 12 and 14, the stiffening panel 31 is bonded to the bag blank before the bag is formed. The bag illustrated is of the self-opening type but the invention can be used with other types of bags.

There is a handle 36 secured to the upper part of the front panel 12. This handle 36 is preferably made of a flexible cord having some degree of resiliency so that it tends to recover at least part way to its original shape when compressed transversely, and since it relies upon friction to hold the bag closed, as will be explained later, the material of the handle 36 should have suliicient co eticient of friction to prevent the handle from slipping when inserted through an elongated opening 40 in the rear panel 14.

In the construction illustrated, the handle 36 is attached to the front panel 12 by staples 42 and 43. The staples 43 are preferably located along; a longitudinal center line 44 of the stiffening panel 24. The other staples 42 are located between the center line and the top edge 20 of the front panel 12, and preferably' back from the edge 20 for a distance at least as great as the width of the staple, i.e., the original distance between the prongs of the staples 42 before the staples are bent over. The ends of the handle 36, indicated by the reference character 46, are preferably located at or beyond the edge 20 so that the handle 36 can be cut from a continuous cord for convenient manufacture on automatic machinery and without having the material of the front panel 12 interfere with the cutting operation.

The stiifening panel 26 of the rear panel of the bag is incised or cut out along lines 48 to weaken the stilfening panel 26 so that it can fold in a manner which will be described in connection with the other views.

The elongated opening 40 is of substantially the same width as the dimension across the loop portion of the handle 36 where it is attached to the front panel 12 by the staples 43. This opening 40 is located on the longitudinal center line of the stiifening panel 26 so that it is directly over the center line 44 of the front stiiening panel 24 when the ends of the bag are folded. The loop portion of the handle 36 is inserted through the opening 40 as part of the closing procedure, and as will be illustrated by the other views; and the width of the opening 40 is less than the diameter of the cord from which the handle 36 is formed so that the handle distorts the confronting edges of the opening 40 when inserted through the opening. In the preferred construction the opening 40 is a slit from which no material is removed. This pro. vides maximum distortion of the edges by the handle 36 and a tight grip of the edges of the opening 40 on the sides of the handle 36. When using handles made of less -compressible material, or of larger cross section, the elongated opening 40 can be a slit instead of a slot, but in any event, it should be narrower than the diameter of the handle so as to grip the handle.

FIGURE 2 shows the first step in the closing of the bag. The front panel 12 is folded along a line 52 which corresponds to the lower edge of the stitfening panel 24. The stiffening panel 24 is preferably folded into a horizontal position at right angles to the vertically extending portion of the front panel 12 below the line 52. This inward folding of the upper end of the front panel 12 requires that the side panels 16 fold along lines 54, but the material of the bag in the side panels 16, which are preferably of one-piece construction with the front and rear panels 12 and 14, respectively, is suiiciently flexible so that no score lines or other weakening is necessary to permit the side panels 16 to fold smoothly along the lines S4 which extend from the front fold line 52 to the top of the rear panel 14.

FIGURE 3 shows the next step in the closing of the bag. The side panels 16 are folded inward over the already-folded portion of the top panel 12 and along lines 56 which extend from the front fold line 52 to a line 58 at the bottom of the rear stiffening panel 26.

Before folding the panel 26 forward, or while folding it forward along the line 58, the loop portion of the handle 36 is inserted through the elongated opening 40, as indicated in FIGURE 4. If the stitfening panel 26 is folded further forward along the line 58, any loose portion of the handle 36 is pulled through the elongated opening 40 so that when the rear panel has been folded down, along the line 58, at against the already-folded portions of the front and side panels, as shown in FIG- URE 5, the handle 36 extends through the opposite end portions of the opening 40. This causes the handle 36 to be Itightly gripped by the distorted confronting faces of the opening 40 and the edges of the opening 40 exert a toggle-like pressure against the handle 36 to prevent the bag from coming open. The box-like closure at the top of the bag is flat and neat, and it protects the contents of the bag from rain and dust `when the bag is being carried.

Because of the stiffness of the folded portion of the rear panel, it can be opened by placing ones hands under the edges of the folded top panel and pulling it upward with enough force so that the handle 36 slides back through the opening 40. The bag can thus be opened to remove the contents without damage to the bag. It can be reclosed for subsequent use. The stitfening panels are stiff enough so that the end of the bag remains substantially flat even though the bag carries as heavy a load as is suitable for the paper or other material of which the lower portion of the bag is made.

FIGURES 6 and 7 illustrate one of the reasons for making the end portions of the handle 36 extend to the edge 20 at the mouth of the bag. The handle 36 is supplied from a spool 68. A length of the cord drawn from lthe spool is held by lingers 70, and a block 74 moves inward and displaces the cord to form the handle 36 between a guide 75 and the lingers 70.

With the cord thus displaced over the front panel 12, the staples 42 and 43 are inserted over the handle 36 and through the material of the front panel 12 and its stiffening panel 24 to secure the handle to the bag. The cord is then cut off by a cutter 36 (FIGURE 7) adjacent to or just beyond the edge of the front panel 12; the bag is replaced with another bag and the handle forming and attaching operation is repeated on the next bag.

The mechanism `diagramrnatically illustrated in FIG- URES 6 and 7 shows the reason for having the end portions of the handle 36 extend transversely of the stiflening panel to the mouth of the bag. However, the invention is not limited to bags with handles that extend transversely of the stilfening panels; and FIGURE 8 shows a modified construction in which a handle 36 is attached to a panel 'by staples 82. This handle 36' has its end portions extending longitudinally of the stiffening panel and the ends of the handle 36 can be cut olf by cutters which punch openings 86 through the panel to which the handle is connected. These openings 86, being beyond the material gripped by the staples 82, have little eiect upon the strength of the connection and they do not leave an opening in the top of the closed bag because they are covered over by the portion of the rear panel which is folded in over the panel to which the panel 36' is connected, as already described in connection with the other views.

The preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, and the invention as defined in lthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a carrier box bag having a bag portion with front, rear and side panels and having reinforcing stitfenm-g panels connected with the front and rear panels at the mouth of the bag to provide a box-like end closure, the improvement which comprises a handle permanently connected to a first one of said stiifening panels which is intended to be folded in first when closing the bag, said handle being made of flexible resilient material with end portions secured to the panel and a loop of material between the end portions, at least one of the said end portions terminating at an edge region of the panel to which the handle is permanently connected whereby the handle can be served at said edge region to cut the handle from a length of handle supply stock from which the handle was made, the second panel having an elongated opening above the handle when the second panel is folded in over the first panel and through which the loop of the handle is pulled when the upper end of the carrier box bag is closed, the elongated opening having confronting opposite sides that pinch the handle between them and that grip the handle to prevent said confronting sides from sliding upward along the handle whereby the bag is held closed with the second panel down close to the first panel.

2. The carrier box bag described in claim 1 characterized by the handle being a piece of soft cord and the elongated opening being a slit in the second panel from which no material of the panel has been removed.

3. The carrier box bag described in claim 1 characterized by the handle being secured to the first panel with the end portions of the handle extending transversely of the first panel and terminating adjacent to the top edge of the mouth of the bag, but the end portions of the handle being spaced from one another longitudinally along the length of the first panel.

4. The carrier box bag described in claim 1 characterized by staples by which the end portions of the handle are secured to the first panel, said staples extending through the rst panel and the paper panel that is stiffened by said first panel.

5. The carrier box bag described in claim 3 characterized by each end of the handle being secured to the panel by at least two staples including one staple located midway across the transverse width of the rst panel, and another staple located between the first staple and the free edge of the mouth of the bag more than half way from the first staple to the free edge but back from the free edge for a distance at least as great as the span of the staple.

6. The carrier box bag described in claim 1 characterized by the front, rear and side panels being of substantially the same height and extending to a straight free edge which extends longitudinally all the way around the mouth of the bag, the stitfening panels extending across substantially the full width of the front and side panels for at least a part of the height of said stifening panels, and from `said free edge downward for a distance equal to substantially the Width of the side panels, characterized by each stiffening panel extending substantially the full width of the respective front and rear panels to which the stiffening panel is connected for the full height of said stiffening panel, and the second stilfening panel having lines along which it is weakened to fold triangular end sections of said stitfening panel downward during folding-in of the side panels and before folding down the second stiening panel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,203,726 6/1940 Hellema 229-61 2,237,324 4/ 1941 Wolf 229-54 2,992,768 7/ 1961 Gatward 229-54 2,650,016 8/1953 McMillan 229-55 FOREIGN PATENTS 996,098 6/ 1965 Great Britain. 902,316 8/ 1962 Great Britain.

DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Primary Examiner 

